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“It isn’t trying to replace it, it’s trying to build on it,” said Chief Development Officer Susan Barcus at the campaign kickoff for the Summerville campus on Tuesday.

“We’re trying to take a tradition and build on that tradition,” said Wes Zamzow, director of annual giving. Last year’s goal of $550,000 has been increased to $750,000, he said.

Last year’s campaign came during a storm of controversy over the selection of the GRU name for the newly consolidated ASU and Georgia Health Sciences University, with many ASU supporters threatening to withhold donations.

“I think some did,” Barcus said. “I think there were definitely some folks who were upset and we certainly understand that. But what we found is it didn’t hurt us on the total. We hit goal. We probably didn’t have as robust a year as we might have had things stayed the same.”

Support has been good this year, Barcus said.

“It’s about the students,” Zamzow said. “And our alums and our donors and the people who work here realize that and want to continue to support us.”

Money raised will be used for things like scholarships or supporting athletics, he said.

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It's unfortunate that you feel that way. The money raised by A Day goes to fund things that the state does not provide - things like student scholarships and supplies for Testing and Disability services. Those things didn't go away with the name change.

The new GRU is being run like a Gestapo. Those who serve under the new leader are scared to death of him. And those from the old regime who were invited in with open arms found that the open arms were really a bear hug waiting to squeeze the life out of them. People are leaving left and right, dropping like puppies in the gas chamber. Giving money to this new institution is like giving an axe to the main executioner. Hell, let the state take care of this Frankenstein it created!

If folks want to give, fine. However, there is absolutely no way I would donate anything to GRU. In life, actions have consequences, and the school will unfortunately pay the price of actions by Azziz and the Board of Regents.

So last year ASU raised $550,000 and the new goal is only $200,000 more, with all of the new GRU? A lot of confidence in fundraising, huh? It used to be "friendraising" now it is just fundraising. I'll keep my dollars because RagingBull above is 100% correct.

Red, So the state won't provide the service, the state has spent millions in this change ( which could have gone to these services), and they ticked off alumni from both schools and most in the community. And now we should support them- after they mostly ignore the community. Lucy yo got some splainin' to do. My friends from both schools have lamented the craziness and difficulties. Both schools were functioning well ( although some problems) now we have an entirely new school with new problems. My Mammy taught me to never put all your eggs in one basket, then my biology mentor taught me diversity is good. What egghead thought we should be a one egg town- what if it breaks? LOL

Bizkit-You are absolutely right. The former ASU has gone from being known as a Liberal Arts school to a supposed Research University. How does one convert a Liberal Arts school into a Research University in less than a year?
My view on this all along has been if the BOR wanted a consolidation they should have put both schools under the University of Georgia umbrella. This would have given UGA their long sought after medical school, and made greater majors available at the former ASU which still would be known as the Summerville Campus.
I think Augusta would have been much more receptive to having an identity with the University of Georgia than what we have now.